Centrifugal humidifier.



H. H. CLARK.

GENTRIFUGAL HUMIDIFIER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 1o 1012.

Patented Oct. 8, 1912.

2 SHEBTB8HEET 1.

H. H. CLARK. GENTRIFUGAL HUMIDIFIER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 10, 1912. 1,040,885.

Patented Oct. 8, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

llllllhistnm HAROLD H. CLARK, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

CENTRIFUG-AL HUMIDIFIER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 8, 1912.

Application filed September 10, 1912. Serial No. 719,692.

(DEDICATED TO THE PUBLIC.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HAROLD H. CLARK, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and Stateof Pennsylvania, have mvented a new and useful Centrifugal Humidifier,of which the following is a specification.

Be it also known that I am an employee of the United States Government,in the Interior Department thereof, and in immediate employment in theBureau of Mines, and that the invention set forth in the followingspecification is given to the public that it may be used by theGovernment, or by any of its oflicers' or employees, or by any otherperson in these United States without payment to me of any royaltythereon, under the provisions of act of March 3, 1883; R. S. 4886. r

The object of my invention is to provide a device capable of producing aspray of watery vapor of exceptional fineness so as to be readily takenup by currents of air and carriedby such currents to thoroughlydisseminate throughout spaces to be ventilated,

more especially the cuttings and galleries of coal mines.

The object of the invention is also to provide a device producing acylindrical current of air and to throw into such current a spray ofwater vapor of such fineness as to thoroughly mix with the air currentand be carried thereby.

The preferred embodiment of my invention is shown in the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure 1 shows a. side elevation of the' humidifierand attached motor. Fi 2 is an end view from the left of Fig. 1. iig. 3is a detail of one of the guide vanes secured to the inner rim of thecasing. Fig. 4 is a view of a section on the line 4-4 in Fig. 2. Fig. 5is a detail view of fan vanes on the rear of the rotating disk. Figs. 6and 7 are respectively an end view and a section on the line 77 in Fig.6, of the spray nozzle.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates a motor of any preferred form,though an electric motor such asshown is preferred by reasons of itscompactness and portability, 2is a water supply pipe and 3 are bracketsarrange on the motor caslng to sustain the fan casing 4. This fancasing, as shown, is of a frustoconical shape and open at each end, theintake being the end next to the motor. 5 are air vanes arranged aroundthe inner end of the casing 4 at spaced intervals as shown in Fig. 2.Each vane is provided with an offset 6 for attachment to the casing topermit the vanes to lie along radial lines. These vanes are of sheetmetal and are slightly curved to take the current of air set up by thefan and direct the same in straight lines outwardly from the casing,thereby forming a cylindrical current. The fan comprises a hollow diskformed of two circular plates 7 and 8, the plate 7 having a hub 7' bywhich it is secured to the motor shaft 1. The plate 7 has an integralflange 9 formed on its periphery and such flange is recessed to receivethe edge of the plate 8, the two plates being spaced apart from eachother to provide an interiorspace. The disk 8 has a central openinghaving a diameter of about one third the diameter of the disk. and astrainer ring 10 is arranged to seat in such opening.

This ring has a.

perforated flange 11 which extends inwardly to the inner face of thedisk 7, and a wire screen is held against such perforated flange by aspring ring 12 also perforated. The disk 8 is held against the disk 7and the strainer ring 10 is held ip the opening in the disk 8 by abinding ring 13 which has an inwardly projecting flange 14 perforated toreceive screw bolts 15 which are tapped into the disk 7. The dischargeend of the water pipe 2 is carried through the binding and strainerrings 13 and 10 and a ard and splash cup 16 is provided to t looselyaround the motor shaft and within the strainer ring and also about thedischarge head of the water pipe. Fan blades 17 of the shape shown inFig. 5 and of sheet metal are secured on the rear face of the.

disk 8, the blades being so arranged that on rotation of the motor shaftand disk air will be drawn in from the center of the casing anddischarged eripherally over the edges of the rotatmg isk.

Provision for the discharge of the water in the form of a very finespray is made by the spray nozzle plugs 18, of which any desired number,four in the present instance, may be employed. Each nozzle is made of abrass plug threaded into the disk 17. Each plug is centrally perforatedwith a spray outlet 19, and the flow of the water tosuch outlet iscontrolled by a threaded stopper 20, a double thread being cut in thecentral opening of the plug and the corresponding thread being omittedor cut away from the stopper to provide a passage for the water. v

In operation water at ordinary pressure is discharged from the pipe 2within the guard cup and flows over the edges of such cup Within andthrough the strainer ring to the space between the disks, which latterare revolved at a speed suflicient to produce by centrifugal force awater pressure of approximately 225 lbs. per square inch. near the edgesof the disk such pressure being suffi'cient to force the water in a veryfine spray from the outlet 19, such spray being thrown outwardly to mixintimately with the cylindrical current of air produced by the fanblades and to be borne thereby as a mist or fog throughout the differentpassages in'a coal mine, or other spaces to be ventilated.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A centrifugal humidifier comprising a hollow disk having a centralopening for the admission of water and carrying a set of spray nozzlesadjacent its outer edge, said disk also having secured thereon a set offan blades, a casing surrounding said disk and carrying a set of airvanes arranged about the edge of the disk, and means for rotating thedisk. Y

2. A centrifugal humidifier comprislng a hollow disk having a centralopening for the admission of water, said disk carrying in .one side aset of spray nozzles and on its reverse side a series of fan blades, 2,frustoconical casing arranged about said disk, said casing carrying acircular series of air vanes surrounding the outer edge of the disk, andmeans for rotating the disk.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

HAROLD H. CLARK. Witnesses:

L. O. ILsLEY, RALPH W. CRooKER.

